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Davis High School...It was 1992, I believe.
I had heard a lot of talk on KDVS shows about how awesome Caroliner was gonna be. All my favorite tastemaker DJ's were all over it.
I had been to shows in Davis before, but I hadn't been to the high school. I felt like an outsider, so I didn't really mingle with the other kids my age there. They were all vying for optimal position in the front and center before the opening act, which turned out to be Green Day. I think it was my first exposure to them, although I'd been familiar with the name...probably from seeing it on a Gilman flier.
Green Day played, and I was kinda nonplussed while the kids attempted to mosh before the on-duty school janitor or other authority figure made them pipe down. Behind me, I saw a buncha grizzled-looking weirdos--even a few balding middle-agers--lined up against the back wall looking glazed or irritated with Green Day.
The curtain dropped behind Green Day, and the kids all clapped politely before retiring to the back wall. Meanwhile, the older dudes against the wall began to look curious, unfolded their arms, and moved forward. When the curtain was drawn again, Caroliner was set up with their dayglo costumes and setdrop, and drums suspended upside-down on wires attached to the ceiling were lowered to a height of about seven feet above the stage. Below the drums were mini-trampolines--the kind used in aerobics classes in the 80's. Two female drummers took the stage with the band and set a rambling oblong rhythm by jumping up to hit the drums. The band had apparently worked out the chords, progressions, and whatnot beforehand, but they had to work to make it fit with the very unstable rhythm.
I looked behind me, and about half of the kids had left, but the rest looked on with a very perplexed look. It was the first moment that I became aware that my music tastes were getting to be rather "grown up." For the first time ever, I felt like I was in some secret club. It was sorta startling. Before that, I just figured that these bands were all seen as "legitimate" because I'd heard them on the radio station (albeit, the community freeform station).
There was another show I saw at UC Davis where Green Day opened up for Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and Sister Double Happiness. That was also kinda weird.
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